


Italy vs England

by justkisa



Series: Sunshine and Rainbows [2]
Category: Football RPF, MCFC RPF
Genre: Multi, WAG
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-11
Updated: 2013-02-11
Packaged: 2017-11-28 23:22:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/680025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justkisa/pseuds/justkisa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At Euro 2012, the Italy - England match ended in penalties. England lost. Gareth Barry missed Euro 2012 due to injury. Gareth and Louise watch the match.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Italy vs England

When it becomes clear it's going to go to penalties, Louise stands up abruptly and announces, "I'm just, think I'll just go wash the dishes." 

Louise never does dishes. Never. In fact, she doesn't even bother to put dirty dishes in the sink or the dishwasher. Instead, she leaves them all over the house. Gareth had once found a half empty tea cup teetering on the edge of the bathroom counter. 

He decides it's best not to mention any of that right now. She'd gotten tenser and tenser as extra time had dragged on and right now she looks about to snap. "Okay," he says evenly, "shall I, uh, shall I come tell you when it's, you know..." 

She nods once then turns on her heel and marches out of the room. Gareth watches her go, stares at Joe's name emblazoned across her back. She'd demanded the jersey from Joe at some point. He doesn't quite remember when. She's worn it for every game. He'd laughed a bit the first time and said, "If I'd been there, you'd have worn mine right?" She'd rolled her eyes and said, "Keep telling yourself that love." 

When she's gone, he turns back to the TV. 

In the end, he wishes he'd volunteered to do the dishes. He wishes, bitterly and desperately, that he was there on that pitch with Joe. He switches off the TV and stands up.

Louise is sitting at the kitchen table, head in her hands. "Knew you weren't," he says, as lightly as he can manage, "actually doing the dishes."

She laughs a bit hysterically but she doesn't look up. "Do I ever?"

"No. Never. It's quite annoying actually." 

She looks up. He tries a smile but she doesn't smile back. "Well?" She says with just enough desperate hopefulness that he doesn't want to answer. 

He shakes his head, can't bring himself to say it. "Fuck," she says. "Fuck, _Fuck._ "

"Yeah," he says, choking on it a bit, "Fuck." 

"Is he, how did he look, should we, Gareth, _Gareth_..." 

He goes around the table. "C'mere," he says, "C'mon." He gets her up and pulls her close. She burrows into his chest. He squeezes her tight. Splays his hand over Joe's name.

"I want," she says into his chest, "I want to call, need to, Gareth, Gareth, we..."

"Shh," he says, "We will. Just," He pauses. He doesn't know how to explain to her that her kind of sympathy will be the last thing Joe wants right now. "In a little while, okay Lou? In a little while." 

She looks up at him. "Okay." She tucks her head under his chin. "I get to talk to him first." 

He kisses the top of her head. "Whatever you want."


End file.
